Once again, a quick update on how well our TEAMS performed this past weekend. It really is great to see how talented they are and how far they have come already in such a short period of time. Remember, the season just started. Starting – once again, with the 141’s. Oh-wait, they were off this weekend, even though 4 players ended up traveling and playing with the 152’s this weekend in Franklin, TN. I know Coach Claire, Coach Katie and Coach Joe had the others in the gym working on some specific technical things. Well done Ladies.
Our 152’s – as stated above – were in Franklin, TN for a 1 day. Coach Mandy – unfortunately – was not able to be there due to a prior commitment, but I heard that Jennifer did a terrific job with the TEAM. Well done Jen. The TEAM came out of the starting blocks fired up beating Nashville Spike in 2, then taking care of business by beating Phoenix Rising in 2. Next game they struggled a bit, losing to Kingsport in 2, only to rebound against Rocket City eventually falling to them in 3. Very well done Ladies – congrats on a great performance. Everybody is proud of you. Keep it going.
Our 151’s were also in Franklin, TN. They played two individual 1 day tournaments. The first, they played “up” in the 16’s age group and on Sunday they played 15’s. Saturday first: They went 6-4 on the day. They lost the second match in two and Coach Rob said: “It was one of those mental matches which will happen eventually – it will be interesting to see how they bounce back”. Well, bounce back they did – winning the next two matches in 2 before eventually falling in the Semi’s. Well done Ladies – we are all proud of you. Now on to Sunday: The TEAM went 2-6 but Coach said he was proud of the way they fought adding: “The girls were clearly tired from the long weekend”. It is early in the season and the stamina will get better. Well done 151’s. Get some rest – you are off next weekend and can rejuvenate.
Our 161’s were in Montgomery, AL for a 2 day – and what a 2 day it would turn out to be. After a bit of a disappointing tourney in Chattanooga, these Ladies had something to prove. They had to prove that they were better than what they showed in Choo-Choo City – much better. They proved it – playing 7 games on Saturday in pool play, only to have to get up at 6:00 am the next morning for another pool play match which they also won. Then, the TEAM had a 5 hour layover – which is very tough and was unfortunate, but we could not help it. They were in the Gold Bracket and the coaching Staff kept them focused for those 5 hours – well done Coaches. We won all 3 matches, earning the right to play in the Championship final against Atlanta Boom. Understand that to get to the Final, they had played 14 games and only lost 1 match. They eventually fell to Boom in 2 to finish as the Championship Runner Up. It was a disappointing loss for them, but they will bounce back stronger than ever. Ladies – we are all very proud of you – you showed that you can play with the best of them. Coach Michaels comment was: “They played really really well and fought back a couple of times from being down in points and not making some of the mental errors like they did last week”.
I hope you find these recaps fun and informative. Each TEAM knows what they need to work on and will continually get better as the season progresses.
A big "WELL DONE" to all 3 TEAMS and the coaching staff. Keep it going and remember, the only way to win this game is to …….keep the ball flying. Coach Andy
For more information email Andy Schatz at Andy@skyvolleyball.org or call 770-713-2685
